7 Ball
by JJ The Legendary SSJ
Summary: Son Gohan is a young man that grew up with no father and a drug addicted mother in the most dangerous part of West City. Los Satan. Where people die on a regular basis and whatever needs to be done to survive is done. Gohan will have to make friends in the right places, and make some seriously questionable life choices to survive in a world where right is in the eye of the beholder
1. 7 Ball Road

_JJ: Hey there all, this is JJ again and THIS is one of the many stories I will be working on as practice for my writing skills leading up to the Sequel of my fic "Poor Mr Son" This is an AU in which all the characters are the same, but are normal and without powers and have been placed in a different environment so they'll probably seem a pretty OOC. I'll explain more as the story progresses. And one MAJOR warning this is rated M for a reason, this is a dark fic, lots of violence, foul language, racial slurs, and immoral themes. So let's get started. As you will notice, Chichi in this story is a moody character with many faces. The amount of Chichi bashing will fluctuate depending on how I wish the story to progress and what morals and themes I wish to explore. Mind you under the gang setting and controversial themes, this is supposed to be a morally questionable story that makes you question what's right and wrong, and what's appropriate under certain circumstances. I'm a deep thinker at heart and this setting in admittedly a very interesting one for me but I fully intend to continue exploring the hard-hitting themes of morality, revenge, the law and murder._

**_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the franchises, series', or characters relating to Dragonball Z and Naruto or any other real life brand, name or product mentioned in this fanfiction. I am merely using the characters likenesses to create a work of fiction purely for the purposes of this fanbase and community. All characters, brands, names, products and franchises belong to their respective owners. Please support the official release._**

**Chapter 1: 7 Ball Road**

It was an overcast day in West City, and the streets bustled with activity with people going to work and driving around in the cars with their families. Smiling policemen patrolled the streets and children chased each other around in the parks, laughing merrily. At first glance the city looked like a picturesque place of outstanding citizens all governed by a wonderful, caring, dutiful police force that any other city would do anything to get their hands on. People just seemed genuinely happy here. But once again, this is only at first glance. And where there's light to shine down on people, those people cast a shadow that other's must live in.

In the slums of West City many people barely survived each day because of poverty, gangs, robberies, drive-bys and starvation. Some people did what they do in this place because they like it, but most do it because they have to. They do things to survive that no human being would normally do, because they have to. It's a dog-eat-dog world down here, where there are no rules. The police hardly do a thing, and people get away with bad things, but in some cases, those things turned out for the greater good. It's an upside down reality where sometimes your friend from the beginning is your greatest threat in the end. And at this very moment our unlikely hero is about to leave his home on 7 Ball Road to unknowingly begin a journey that will lead him through the hardships of loss, heartbreak, pain, and finding his own identity and his own moral compass.

"SON GOHAN, YOU WILL NOT GO HANG OUT WITH THOSE HOOLIGANS YOU CALL FRIENDS EVER AGAIN!" screamed the drunk voice of Chi-Chi at her eldest son,  
>"YOU DON'T CONTROL ME!" he yelled back at her, throwing open his cupboard and pulling on a Red and Black Los Satan Warriors football Jersey over his muscular form. Its sleeves reached his elbows and the hem was half-way down his thighs. He wore a very baggy pair of jeans and basketball shoes. Tying a red bandanna on his head with the knot facing backwards he stormed out the apartment,<br>"GOHAN YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Chi-Chi commanded,  
>"FORGET IT BITCH!" he replied angrily, walking down the stairs away from her,<br>"UNGRATEFUL LITTLE SHIT!" she let loose in a rage, slamming the door closed and locking it.

Gohan was in a poor house with his mother Chi-Chi and his little brother Goten. Gohan was 17 years old now and it had been nearly just as long since his father left to go pursue his dream apparently. Gohan was 6 foot 1 and had a tall but rather muscular body after years of hard work and learning to fight whenever he could with the old man two floors up from him. He had Black wild spiky hair and seemingly Black eyes and a rather fair complexion **(A.N You all know what he looks like right?)**. The family didn't have much money and lived in one of the poorest places in LS. Life was hard for the son family and Gohan supported the family in part with the various jobs he did around the block. Gohan always felt bad after arguing with her but it only ever happened when she was drunk or high off some pills. She still had her moments though and Gohan loved her all the same, and he knew she still loved him.

He had left the building and turned a corner and saw a 5 foot 11 African American guy with short, unkempt, curly Black hair wearing a baggy white T shirt and jeans, "Yo homie, wassup?" the man asked fist-bumping Gohan,  
>"Hey man, sorry I was late, that bitch is crazy man" Gohan complained,<br>"Hey don't worry about it, it's good. So you heard about those cyphers going down at that warehouse on 5th?" the guy asked,  
>"What? Rap battles? You gotta be kidding me man I can't be wastin time on that shit" Gohan told him exasperatedly,<br>"Dude you can get somewhere with these things! You could go far homie! Listen to your man Slick!" the young man now identified as Slick urged,  
>"Fuck man I got more important shit to be thinking about! I can't fuck around at those damn cyphers, they ain't gonna get me anywhere!" Gohan yelled in frustration. There was a tense silence between the two for a moment,<br>"Aight, if you say so G-man, but 'least come down with us later and get'cho self a lady man" Slick said, smiling to his friend,  
>"Yeah whatever" Gohan said smiling slightly, "Hey yo where's Andy?" Gohan asked suddenly realizing,<br>"He said he and Trunks are re-possessing a car today off some cat in SatanWood" Slick told him as he started to walk down the street, gesturing for Gohan to follow, "What? Didn't Stretch used to do that shit with Trunks?" Gohan asked curiously, Slick stopped and looked at Gohan bewildered,  
>"Homie you didn't hear?! Stretch got stabbed on the last job!" Slick told him,<br>"What the fuck!? How? What?" Gohan stumbled over his own words,  
>"They had the papers and everything and the busta jumped Stretch with a piece and stabbed him in the back of his shoulder coz the guy didn't wanna give up the car!" Slick told the story, anger evident in his words,<br>"Man that's some bullshit! Is he okay?" Gohan asked, concern and anger taking over,  
>"The doctors say he'll live but it'll be a while befo' he's repossessing anything" the slightly shorter boy told Gohan,<br>"Let's go see him, right now. You ain't got shit on right?" Gohan asked, walking in the direction of the hospital,  
>"Homie we got school, we'll go see him after" Slick told Gohan trying to go in the direction of school,<br>"Man we already late, what fuckin difference does it make?" Gohan argued, to which Slick merely walked in front of him and turned him back towards the school,  
>"Man let's go!" Slick said again, pushing him,<br>"Aight! I'm goin, I'm goin" Gohan conceded, walking towards their school.

Gohan and Slick got to school and split off to go to their classes. Gohan entered his English room and met the pissed off gaze of his teacher,  
>"You better have a good reason for being late" she said, nostrils flaring,<br>"Family problems" Gohan muttered simply sitting in his desk. The teacher looked him over for a moment and decided that he was telling the truth, though even if he wasn't she couldn't really fault him. The boy was very average in academic classes, all except English. The boy had, on more than one occasion, hit the class with a poem that would better be called a masterpiece in the literary arts, full of thoughtful metaphors, intellectual word-play and a natural talent for powerful messages and words that reflected on his deepest, innermost thoughts, which were obviously filled with pain, and she knew fully well how poor Gohan's family was. The only reason he even got into the school is for his English marks being able to bring him through on a scholarship type deal. "Alright class…" the teacher began to drone.  
>"Hey Gohan you're looking especially ghetto today" said Sharpener in the seat 3 across from him,<br>"Fuck you Sharpener" Gohan muttered,  
>"Hey it's not my fault your family's too poor to live somewhere nicer" Sharpener said with a shrug,<br>"Don't be a dick to the guy Sharp, he lives in the streets, saying stuff like that could get you shot" Videl said with a sneer,  
>"Hey Sharpener, take your pin sized dick and fuck Videl here in the brain would you? Because I think that's the only thing small enough above her shoulders for you to <em>fit<em> your dick in" Gohan retorted,  
>"The fuck did you just say to me?" Videl replied disbelievingly,<br>"Hey look at that, you can go through the ear since she doesn't seem to be using them anyway" he quipped smoothly, without missing a beat.  
>"Is there a problem up there?" the teacher asked, eyeing the group,<br>"No ma'am" Gohan replied respectfully, before going back to taking notes.

After class Gohan walked out quickly before the teacher tried to talk to him about Videl and Sharpener. Basically they were the two richest, and most popular kids in the school, and they looooved to make fun of Gohan for growing up in a tough environment, because they knew that he knew if he did anything, they could sue and he'd be fucked. On the walk to his locker he ran into another friend of his, Quincy who was fairly dark-skinned and had a buzz cut, and was wearing sweatpants and a baggy button up shirt with a gold chain, sporting the Holy Cross dangling on the end.  
>"Q! Sup man!" Gohan said with a smile. Gohan and Q had known each other for 9 years now and Gohan considered Q a very good friend,<br>"Sup mah wigga!" Q joked clasping Gohan's outstretched hand and bro-hugging him,  
>"Yo man I just heard about Stretch before! Me and Slick where gonna go see him after school, you in?" Gohan asked,<br>"Pft, ya'll just wanna use me coz I got a car as transportation man" Q said, mock disappointed,  
>"Come on homie!" Gohan said, trying to encourage him,<br>"Aight I'm in, ya'll can ride with me" Q said heading off to his next class,  
>"Thanks man! See you break period!" Gohan called out, opening his locker.<p>

**4 and a half hours later**

Gohan was leaving his Math class and met Q at his locker,  
>"Yo you ready to go man?" he asked holding his keys,<br>"Yeah where's Tyrone?" Gohan asked before he was jokingly put in a headlock from behind,  
>"Yo that's Slick when we're in public asshole!" Slick whined in annoyance,<br>"Yeah yeah" Gohan said dismissively,  
>"Let's head to the hospit-" but he was interrupted by the hand of Slick in his face,<br>"Nuh uh homie, I called the hospital and they said they aren't allowing visitors yet as Stretch is still in an induced coma while they do the surgeries, turns out the damage was a bit worse than they first thought" Gohan's face fell in frustration,  
>"Well when can we see him?" he ground out through a clenched jaw,<br>"In a couple of days, in the meantime let's hit that warehouse, Q's got a battle!" Slick responded with a smile,  
>"Q? Is this fo'real?" Gohan asked his friend with a serious face,<br>"Yeah homie, if you ain't gonna do it then I'll do it and you can be my hype man" Q joked with a subtle wink as he unlocked his car, and they got in.

Q was driving past 7 Ball road when Slick leaned forward and put the radio on,  
>"Yo what's playin?" Gohan asked him as Slick tuned through the stations until California Lovebegan blasting through the car, bringing a big smile to everyone's faces, "That's what I'm talkin about!" Q yelled over the music, though the song was already half way through. Upon the start of the second verse, everyone started singing along.<p>

"**OUT ON BAIL, FRESH OUTTA JAIL! **

**California dreamin, soon as I stepped on the scene, I'm hearin hoochies screamin!**

**Fiendin for money and alcohol, the life of a Westside playa**

**Where cowards die, and the strong ball!"**

Soon the trio rocked up at the parking lot not far from the warehouse, laughing as they started to get out the car, still singing,  
>"Caliiforniaaa, knows how to paaarty!" Slick sang in his terrible singing voice,<br>"Man that's just what I need to get psyched up for a battle man, some good old 2pac" Q said with a smile on his face. Gohan walked in front of him and poked him on the forehead,  
>"Yeah but 2pac can't make you rap better so come on, practice on us man"<p>

Slick started making a makeshift beat with his mouth as Q stood for a moment sizing Gohan up and thinking,  
>"Aight check this out, Yo, Yo you may be taller than me, bigger than me, but that just means that when you trigger me and we battle you gon' fall harder than me. I see your jersey homie you're a fan of the warriors? Or are you just wearing it coz you can't afford anything else, with a family as poor as yours! I hail from Los Satan I'm a West-Ci-ty rap king son, I spit rhymes so full of fire that they call me a gatt-ling gun!"<br>"OH! Man you got this cypher in the BAG man!" Gohan laughed with excitement for his friend,  
>"You know it! Who's he battling again?" Slick asked as Q took a few moments to search his memory,<br>"Emcee Squared" Q finally said.  
>"Yo man watch out for his word-play, that alone has been enough to win him a fair few cyphers, but his flow is weak, so take advantage of that" Gohan told his friend.<p>

"Man you know so much about rapping why don't you do it?" Slick asked him,  
>"How am I gonna support a family with that man? I can't get famous enough, how many white dude's you see in the industry?" Gohan replied in frustration,<br>"But YOU could do it!" Q said, "Depending on what you do with your music, rapping can be just like poetry but with style man, think of it that way" he added, before heading to the warehouse which had just opened and everyone attending was flooding through the doors, "Yo we'll have to talk later it's time"

**Inside 10 minutes later**

2 rappers were battling and one was the infamous 'Menace 2 Society' who was considered the best freestyle rapper in the entire cypher underground. He played dirty, rapped well, and rumour had it that he was affiliated with a gang that was partaking in a gang war against West coast gangs. This was a rumour of course but one had to be knowledgeable of these things in order to be prepared for anything. It was currently Menace's turn in the cypher and he was destroying the new guy, "Get'cho young-blood ass up outta here, the fear that you be feeling? That lonely single tear? That there is a sign man to get the fuck away, you won't find no sobriety! In the rap game, conjure is found everywhere, against this Menace to Society!" Menace finished his verse, causing a massive uproar to break out amongst the crowd.  
>"Man he's good" Q said quietly to himself,<br>"Hey man don't worry about it, he ain't your opponent just yet. Besides, you'd kill that mo'fucker man" Gohan encouraged his friend.

Up on stage the announcer called out the next 2 competitors,  
>"Quincy Q versus Emcee Squared!" this was followed by a lot of screaming, cheering and booing at the two as they made their way up to the stage. "Alright Q since you're the challenger you pick, who's going to take the mic first?" the announcer asked. Quincy was nervous. Possibly more nervous than he had ever been in his life, but he managed to keep his face straight,<br>"Let this cat go first" he told the announcer stepping back and putting his hands in his pockets in a show of confidence and arrogance he didn't feel. Emcee Squared took the mic and stepped forward, his too-big, long-sleeved, button-up shirt almost reaching his jean-clad knees with a hat worn low, hiding a good portion of the top of his face with the shadow caused by the harsh lighting of the warehouse.

He took a few seconds to get his mind going before proceeding,  
>"Yo this dawg comes in here and calls me a cat, well he'll be feline the pain when I scratch attack, like gats my raps boom through the house and bust you down like a door, I'll put you under house arrest so brutal that white'sll be screamin FOUR SCORE, and trying to set you free, trying to liberate you from my lyrical slav-ery, your false bravery is noted, and I can tell you nervous, and so making you look a fool has become my number one purpose!" Emcee Squared finished strong and there was a lot of cheering for that. Q noted that he put more focus on making the rap flow a bit better this time. However Quincy was the KING of flow…at least of all the people at their high school anyway,<br>"Very well done Emcee, and you obviously got a lot of love from the crowd but it ain't over yet. Q! Are you ready?!" the announcer asked, giving him the mic.

Q nodded at the man and stepped up.  
>"Hey ya'll see this busta here? He think that he lyrical! But as I heard his rapping man my thoughts were all cynical, I couldn't stop thinking about how they were the pinnacle, of a high Jamaicans spiritual journey, comin down off the residual effects of some strong ass "prescription" weed, his shit ain't clinical, and his ass is too high to be battling, mental or physical, he ain't up to me, this nigga pitiful!" Q finished and took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead,<br>"YEAH Q KILL THAT MUTHAFUCKA!" Slick called out, taking another swig from his beer,  
>"Yo man what the fuck is you doin? We're minors!" Gohan hissed at his already slightly tipsy friend,<br>"Man….f-fuck you, you pansy…pansy ass white-bread muthafucka" Slick said, gulping another mouthful of the alcoholic liquid,  
>"Ah fuck" Gohan muttered, shaking his head before looking back up, to see that Emcee Squared had already taken the mic back for his second chance.<p>

"Yo you rap well, but you ain't digging deep enough, to find a flow as cold as mine, you just plain actin tough! Now that's enough junior, I can tell you still in school, because I'mma teach you so many lessons that I make you look like a fool you tool! This shit ain't cool, leave it to the adults, go back home and slam your door sit in the corner and have a sulk!" Less applause erupted from the crowd this time but it was still a relatively good reaction from the crowd. Quincy took the mic back. He readied himself for his next verse, knowing that this may be the decider of his future, the beginning of his new life could start with this victory,  
>"Yeah I may be younger than you, you got that right it's true, and perhaps you'd be correct in saying that I still go to schoo', but the mistake you made in that verse is that my mama didn't raise no fool! Bitch back the fuck up old man, make like your hairline!" at this Q snatched the low-worn cap and revealed his slowly balding head, "Recede from this warehouse and straight towards a hair salon! You weezin geezer! You cold alright, coz I put'cho body in a freezer! You sorta seem like Ja Rule man, creepy and forty-three! But just like Ja man you ain't as old as you seem! In fact I'd like to wager that you ain't much older than me!" another massive round of applause from the audience followed that finish, accompanied of course, by whooping from Slick and Gohan.<p>

"AIGHT ERR'BODY IT'S PRETTY CLEAR WHO THE WINNER IS HERE! PUT'CHO HANDS TOGETHER FOR QUINCY Q!" the crowd began cheering even louder, if that was possible. Gohan and Slick jumped up on stage and almost tackled him,  
>"YOU DID IT MAN! YOU GOIN TO THE NEXT ROUND!" Slick yelled in his face in an attempt to be heard over the crowd. Q smiled a big smile and kissed his cross necklace, which puzzled Gohan. As the group was leaving the warehouse for the after party out the front, Gohan turned to his friend,<br>"Man why you always kiss that thing?" he questioned,  
>"I'm thankin god for being with me in that battle" Q answered his friend with a small smile,<br>"What you don't think your god actually helped you do you?" Gohan asked almost sarcastically,  
>"Well yeah actually I do, you don't believe in a higher power?" Q queried him seriously, looking him in the eye. Gohan thought about it, and decided,<br>"Well, I guess I believe there's something, but whatever it is, it ain't done me no favors so why should I do something for it? Knah'mean? The day they help ME is the day I'll thank 'em" Gohan responded, bringing a small chuckle from his friend,  
>"You can't expect a higher power to get you through life do you? I mean you said you believe there is SOMETHING, so that means they gave you life. You coulda just as easily been a miscarriage, or come up messed up. But you were born healthy and strong, ain't that enough? If they did everything for you, you'd never grow as a person, never adapt. Besides, what's wrong with putting your faith in a power beyond you, even if some consider it far-fetched? It's about hope. Knowing and accepting you aren't powerful enough to change your fate, and instead placing your fate in the hands of an all-powerful essence isn't necessarily being weak man, knowing your limits and being able to ask for help from something greater than you is a strength in its own right, I feel like everyone is entitled to deal with things their own way. Some prefer to take all of the pressure on their back and try to power through it alone, some put their faith in something greater when they know they can't proceed alone. There's no right or wrong way homie, only YOUR way" Q finished his seemingly prophetic speech, leaving Gohan to actually think about what he said. "Shit man that's deep…" Gohan said quietly still thinking about it,<br>"Where do you think shit up like that man? My mind's so fucked up, I never have a chance to think that deeply" Slick told him as well as he could while tipsy, surprised at the conversation, mostly Q's words.

However they were interrupted by Emcee Squared approaching them with a group amidst the partying individuals. Emcee Squared's face immediately turned to a sneer at seeing Gohan,  
>"Who this white boy dressing like he black?" he mocked,<br>"Don't you say shit about my man!" Slick threatened taking a step but being stopped by Gohan, who simply shook his head at him slightly, silently telling him to let it go,  
>"So you think you rap pretty well huh?" Emcee asked rhetorically,<br>"You just a punk-ass bitch" he spat at Q,  
>"Hey man why don't you leave us alone, he won fair and square homie" Gohan attempted to reason calmly,<br>"Homie? Punk I ain't yo "homie" or any of that shit!" he said grabbing Gohan's shirt and pulling him close, bringing all eyes to them, protests of "Hey!" and "Leave him alone" were heard, scattered through the crowd,  
>"Look, I don't want no trouble man" Gohan said, earning him a punch in the face. Gohan stumbled back and hit the ground, nursing his cheek with the back of his hand as he stood up. Slick was currently being held by Q who knew Gohan could take a punch. The group snickered at his non-reaction,<br>"Little prick won't even fight back, what's wrong little princess? Don't wanna fight? Get the fuck outta here you pansy, white-bread bitch!" Emcee mocked cruelly, shoving Gohan backwards, causing him to stumble back and almost fall over again. He caught himself and turned and began walking away, much to the delight of the crew, who were making chicken noises as he walked away. Slick went to walk past them towards Gohan when one of them cheap-shot him in the side of the head, sending Slick headfirst to the ground and knocking him out. Gohan turned and saw his friend in the dirt, a small trickle of blood coming from his head. Gohan ran over, ignoring the laughing guys, checking him over. Luckily it didn't look too bad, mostly superficial. Some of the crowd had seen enough and were starting to get up, ready to help out if it got too bad seeing as it was now Gohan and Q, versus roughly 8 or 9 of them.

Q walked over to the leader,  
>"Look man the good lord didn't want none of this shit, let's just part ways before someone does something they'll regret" Q pleaded,<br>"What are you some kinda pussy?" Emcee merely scoffed at him,  
>"I'm something of a pacifist, I don't fight unless I have to" Q told him calmly, drawing another round of laughter,<br>"Well tell me when you deem that you _'have to' _aight?" Emcee seethed, reaching into his pocket and retrieving a small pocket knife, and grabbing Q's collar, which Gohan immediately saw,  
>"Hey!" Gohan exclaimed, standing up.<br>"Awww, the prissy bitch wanna come and play? I thought you didn't want no trouble punk!?" Emcee joked.  
>" .Enough" Gohan enunciated every word, standing to Emcee's side giving him a steely glare. There was silence for a moment, but eventually Emcee put the knife back in his pocket,<br>"Aight you're right, too far" he said letting go and turning around and making to walk away, at this everyone visibly relaxed. Before out of nowhere, he turned around and sucker punched Q in the nose, breaking it. He fell to the ground clutching his broken feature, blood spilling out. Gohan had, had enough. He furiously walked over to Emcee, who turned to face him and shrugged, "What 'homie'? Watcha gonna do? You want so-" but at this Gohan had reached him.

Gohan grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him down and simultaneously threw a knee up into his solar-plexus, knocking the wind from his lungs, before violently dropping an angry elbow on the back of his neck. At this his crew reacted and the people in the crowd who planned to help hurriedly tried to make it through the crowd. The first one to reach Gohan managed to get a punch in on Gohan's face, but Gohan grabbed the arm with one hand and used his free hand to hammer-blow his elbow causing it to hyper extend, before Gohan fired off a clean left-hook, to his ribs, finishing the combo with a headbutt to his face, dropping him.

The second goon arrived at the same time as the third. Gohan narrowly ducked a sloppy and wide hook, stepped forward and threw and upper-cut into his inner knee, causing him to buckle. Gohan quickly straightened and front kicked him in the chest, knocking him over but not out. The other however jumped on Gohan's back and Gohan barely managed to grab him over his shoulder and throw him to the ground before stepping on his throat, incapacitating him. Another had reached him by now and he got hit hard in the head from behind, toppling him to the ground front first. He broke his fall with his hands and rolled onto his back just in time to see a kick approaching his head from the side. He sat up just as the boot passed where his head was and he threw an elbow backwards into the passing knee of the assailant. He grabbed the waist of the unbalanced attacker and pulled them to the ground beside him. Dropping another elbow on his head and knocking him out cold before he got kicked in the ribs by another. Gohan rolled backwards over his shoulder to his feet in pain from the kick and the punch to his head. He wobbled slightly but still managed to lean back from the wide punch swung his way, retaliating by stepping in behind him and bringing his knee up between his legs into his crotch, before throwing a massive hook into the back of his neck, sending him sprawling face first. Gohan felt a metal pipe collide with his back, knocking him to the floor in massive pain, "AGH!" he screamed, rolling onto his back and leaning his head away just as the pipe smashed into the concrete beside him.

The metal pipe's contact with the immovable ground caused it to ring and it threw the force back into the attacker's hands, causing him to shout and drop the pipe, his arms in horrible agony. But Gohan knew he was still too fucked up from all those cheap shots to keep fighting. He was no alien from some kind of warrior race after all. He saw as the last few guys were running away from the fresh audience who had come to his rescue after getting over the shock of watching him fight so well against a large amount of opponents. Eventually he felt to pairs of hands grab Gohan and raise him to his feet, patting him gently on his back,  
>"You good homie?" the black one asked him,<br>"Yeah thanks man, I'll live" Gohan ground out, in obvious pain, to which he grimaced,  
>"Where do them niggas get off ganging up on people for no reason like that man?" he said shaking his head,<br>"Do you need an ambulance?" the white guy on his other side asked,  
>"Nah I'm goo-" but at that Gohan heard groaning, he turned and saw Emcee Squared laying there, trying to get up, "You know what you better call one" he muttered darkly, limping over to Emcee, kicking him in the ribs, causing Emcee to shout in pain and roll onto his back, clutching his ribs, "Jivin-ass, wannabe-gangster, punk muthaFUCKA!" Gohan shouted kicking him again. Gohan sat on his stomach, pulled his torso up by the front of his shirt, "How do YOU like it?!" Gohan shouted, enunciating the 'YOU' with a punch to his nose, breaking it with a sickening crunch.<p>

Gohan pulled him back up gesturing to Emcee's fallen crew members, beaten and groaning. "Now you see what I can do bitch, was it fuckin worth it? HUH?!" Gohan was shouting in his face, followed with a punch to his cheek. Gohan yet again pulled him up into a semi sitting position before throwing him back to the ground, "You ever try that shit again and I'll stomp your fuckin _brains _out. Am I fuckin clear?" Gohan threatened in a low voice,  
>"Yes! Yes just stop!" he pleaded. Gohan stood up looking at him angrily,<br>"Punk-ass trick muthafucka" Gohan muttered, spitting on Emcee, just as sirens could be heard approaching.  
>"Come on let's get the fuck outta here" Q said, his nose plugged with tissue paper. The break looked alright now that he had re-located it. They picked up a barely awake Slick and limped away from the scene as fast as they could. They reached Q's car and they sat in it a few moments calming down before driving to Q's house.<p>

Gohan was on his phone currently and called his mother as it was getting late. It was Goten who picked up the phone,  
>"Hello?" the timid nervous voice came through,<br>"Hey little man! What's happening?" Gohan said cheerily to his little brother,  
>"Gohan! Hey! Not much, just watching Naruto on TV" he said casually,<br>"Oh yeah? What'd I miss?" Gohan said smiling at the way he knew his brother's eyes were lighting up on the other side,  
>"Sasuke got bit by the snake guy and now he's got this thing on his neck!" Goten relayed excitedly,<br>"That's no good, hey could you put mom on the phone for a sec?" Gohan inquired to his sibling,  
>"Mhm! 1 moment"<p>

There was silence on the line for a few seconds before he heard the phone being picked up,  
>"Gohan?" his mother's voice asked confused,<br>"Hey mom, sorry about this morning. I shouldn't have called you names like that" he told her apologetically,  
>"It's okay sweetie I'm sorry too" she replied genuinely,<br>"Hey mom I called to tell you that we just left the warehouse where my friend had a rap battle-" but he was interrupted,  
>"Which friend? Was it Quincy? I like that boy. Very polite, very nice and well mannered" Chichi rambled, causing Gohan to smile at her antics,<br>"Yeah it was Q, listen I was wondering if I could stay at Q's place tonight. Some guys jumped us again and I don't want Goten to see me like this" he explained to his mother,  
>"Oh honey, not again. Are you okay?" she asked, concerned,<br>"Yeah we managed to fight them off with the help of a few by-standers, but Slick got sucker-punched and he hasn't come to yet" Gohan detailed,  
>"Well as long as you get to school tomorrow then I don't see why not, and tell Quincy's mother I said hello" Chichi added, "Well I have to go now, Goten's calling me about his show, bye sweetie" she called into the phone,<br>"Later mom" Gohan replied finally, hanging up, "It's all good man" Gohan told Q from the front seat as Q turned to his house.

Suffice to say that Quincy's mother Leshawna was not pleased to see the boys so roughed up,  
>"Uh uh, why do those delinquents always attack my boys!?" she harped angrily, "I have half a mind to go down there and teach them boys a lesson!" she raved before stepping aside to let the boys into the rather small, but cozy and homey apartment, "Poor Tyrone, hey there Gohan, how's ya mother doin?" she asked affectionately. Leshawna was a plump 5"7 woman who looked considerably younger than her wise age of 43. She had long, dark hair braided in a pony-tail and the whole crew had known her since primary when Q met them, and she was like a second mother to them.<br>"She's goin okay. Much less drunken rampages nowadays" Gohan told her,  
>"Oh good, I pray for that woman ya'know? Gotta be a good person to have given birth to such a fine young man" she said, walking into the kitchen, "Did y'all want something to eat? I made rice, chicken and peas" she informed them as she gathered a first aid kit from under the sink,<br>"Yes please Aunt Leshawna" Gohan said as his stomach rumbled,  
>"That'd be great Mama" Q answered, "So is it aight for G-man and 'sleepin beauty' to crash here tonight?" he asked gesturing at Gohan and Slick,<br>"Of course! Anytime you need baby you just say the word" she told Gohan with sincerity.

2 hours later Q got a text on his phone from the Cypher announcer,  
>"Yo my next opponent is Big Z. Same warehouse, a week from now" he told Gohan and Slick, who had woken up by now with a splitting headache.<br>"Big Z huh?" Gohan said thoughtfully, "I say for this guy you go for a little style and power, he lacks there. You're a better lyricist on the fly than he is I'd say" Gohan told him after a moment,  
>"See this is my main man" Q said with a smile, "What would I do without you homie?"<p>

_JJ: Well that's this chapter people! This is the first chapter of 7 Ball, which, if you haven't figured out yet, is a play on the title of the movie 8 Mile which partially inspired this fic. As you can see there's a fair amount of foul language in this and quite a bit of violence but it's all written on the basis of a good story, even if you aren't a fan of Hip-hop the story WILL get interesting soon. And although it doesn't seem like it now, Videl will be a big part of this story. Till next time guys and don't forget to review and give me your thoughts, praise or criticism as long as it's constructive. I love to hear from you guys and gals._


	2. Good Kid MAAD City

_JJ: Sorry this chapter took so long readers, but I had to reformat my pc and I lost everything. Which means I lost my progress on this second chapter. That on top of personal shit kept me from doing stuff lately, but I'm on this kind of "fuck my problems and move the fuck on" type shit atm so I figured I should get to this, plus school holidays have started where I am now so I got time. Anyway, enough of me babbling about my personal problems, hope you all enjoy the chapter! Oh and to those who reviewed, I completely agree that bashing of a fictional character is immature, and that's not what I meant. That was totally the wrong word for it. And also there may be mentions or implications of sex, but no detailed scenes, since I feel uncomfortable writing them, it just doesn't fit well with me, sorry to disappoint. Anyway let's do this shit._

_Chapter 2:_

Videl woke up the next Monday thinking about what had happened Friday night. She had been down at that warehouse where they have the cyphers. She had heard Gohan and his friends talking about it at their lockers and wanted to follow to see what he was like outside of school. She disguised herself in a hoodie and sunglasses and watched from the front of the warehouse as their car rocked up blasting a song that they were all singing along to. After everyone came inside she lost sight of him and ended up watching a few battles when she saw Gohan's friend, Q was it? Go up on stage. She quickly found Gohan thanks to his other friend's incessant cheering and whooping. He had obviously been drunk, and she watched Gohan like a hawk, determined not to miss anything that might give away something about his character. The ensuing fight outside however was what REALLY took the cake about her findings that night. It was burned into her mind like an iron brand.

The early morning sun cut through her curtains and somehow, despite the relatively low odds, created a beam of hot morning light that shone right on her face, making her extremely hot. After seeing how he fought she opted to tone down her goading a little. In truth Videl didn't have a problem with Gohan in the slightest, and she actually wanted to know more about him, but he was so closed up and secretive about everything that the only way she could get past his stoic, emotionless face was to make him angry. Sure it was probably really selfish on her part to torture his psyche just to get a glimpse of who Gohan really was through his eyes. But there was just something so...mesmerizing about his eyes. So full of emotion. The pain, the anger, the loneliness. There was something so raw and real about his emotions that grabbed her attention. The teen celebrity threw her covers off of her with a huff at having to get up and, after changing and showering, went down for breakfast.

As always, her conversation with her father was short and blunt. She never really got along with him anymore. Not since her mother died when she was a little girl. It was okay for a while but not long after her dad stopped mourning he got famous from winning that Martial Arts tournament, and he's surrounded himself by bimbos and hussies every other night. She rarely sees him after breakfast nowadays, as he's always partying, drinking or doing some dumb publicity stunt. She finished her morning routine and got in her car before driving off to school, thinking about the previous night the whole way. She had wanted to jump out there and help Gohan. More than she could even understand herself, but the fear of being seen by him and found out for spying overwhelmed that notion, and she instead chose to remain hidden, silently cheering for him. She winced at every single blow he received in that fight and almost cried out when he was struck with the pole from behind. She felt the relief wash through her veins like a tidal wave when people ran to his rescue. The raven-haired high-schooler even slightly pumped her fist when Gohan beat the leader into submission at the end. While she could not believe the gritty and violent life-style he was forced to live, and the thought alone of living this herself made her slightly afraid and paranoid, seeing Gohan win was possibly the most elating thing she had seen in months.

Videl arrived in the school car-park and made her way to the front doors of the school. She was waiting for Erasa and Sharpener to turn up as well, when Gohan's friends car rolled to a stop in the driveway. The 3 stepped out of the car and they all looked pretty banged up. At first glance it looked like Slick had taken the worst of it with that large bandage on the side of his head, but then Gohan stretched, causing his shirt to ride up a bit. And on top of the small Band-Aid on his cheek she could see multiple heavy duty wrappings around his well defined abdomen.  
><em>"Wait, defined? Holy crap he's ripped! Is that what he's been hiding under all that?!" <em>Videl screeched internally, completely bewildered by this latest development. _"I suppose it makes sense, he must do a lot of physical training to fight like he does and take a hit like he can" _she reasoned.

Gohan finished his stretching and turned to look at the school. Somehow he made direct eye contact with Videl and saw that she was looking right at him and...was that concern on her face? But then just like that it was as if she had noticed him noticing and her face fell into a neutral mask before turning away, somewhere else in the parking lot. Gohan didn't think too far into it however and just shrugged it off, it was too early for this shit anyway.  
>"Hey yo man, you sure you don't wanna hang back and rest? The doctor said your ribs were pretty fucked up" Q inquired to his taller friend as he ran a hand through his short, thick hair, "Coz once we step in that building you gon have to go the whole day. If we go now I still have time to drop you back off at'cho crib."<br>"Man I told you, I'm good" Gohan assured his friend, his face set in a re-assuring, determined expression that made it hard to imagine that he was lying.

Q however just raised an eyebrow at his friend,  
>"Dawg I've known you for how many years now and you still think the same ol' trick gonna fool me? Whatever I'mma head to class, I see y'all later" he told his group, walking ahead. They watched Q walk for a bit before Slick turned to Gohan, "Wait what'd he mean trick? Were you lyin?" he asked, confused by the whole situation. Gohan merely chuckled and clapped his friend on the shoulder, before walking ahead also, "Homie I'm serious! Why you laughin?!" Slick called, before sighing and jogging to keep up with his friend.<p>

It was Gohan's English class and currently he was the most bored he had been in a while. His class was touching up on a topic they had done last semester. One that Gohan had found extremely easy the first time around, let alone a second time. He looked around his class and everyone else was studiously taking notes except Videl who once again was staring at him out the corner of her eye. Gohan reached into his bag and pulled out a stray piece of paper without paying attention and wrote a message on it,  
><em>"What's with all the looks? Don't tell me you've suddenly realised your hate on me was just because you secretly love me?"<em> he wrote, smirking to himself before passing her the note. He did not indulge himself in seeing her expression, and kept his gaze in the opposite direction of her hoping to annoy her even further. He heard the note slide back on his desk.  
><em>"In your dreams Son, btw did you write that? It's really good" <em>  
>Gohan was confused by the second part of her message back. He picked the paper up and brought it closer to his face to see if he misread it but upon lifting it off the desk, the light shone through it and Gohan realized there were words on the back of the paper. He flipped it around and immediately felt his face heat up in embarrassment.<p>

***FLASHBACK* 4 months ago**

Gohan was sitting in his study at home as the storm outside his window raged on, the rain pelting against his window. A stark contrast to the usual pitter patter of the rain they got in this part of LS. His mother was drunk again and Gohan couldn't deal with her so he locked he and his brother away in their room. Gohan looked over to the sleeping form of Goten and felt warmth rush through him. Gohan loved his brother dearly and he wished he could be the father neither one of them had, even if only just so Goten could have someone to call daddy, but unfortunately Gohan didn't ever want to associate himself with the deadbeat he called a father. Regardless Gohan would do anything to protect his little brother. And then, as if struck by lightning, lyrics started flowing into his head. A song about his brother it seemed this time. Many times throughout his life Gohan had felt the lyrics to a song start running around in his head and he had learned since that the only way to get them out was to put them on paper.

Gohan pulled out a book from his desk of drawers. The book was about 5 inches high and 5 inches wide with a dark leather cover. Gohan opened the little book and flipped to a blank page and began writing the lyrics.

**Yo man I have this little brother, he ain't like no-one other**

**He's a special kinda person, the best thing that came outta my mother**

**And while I know that I may not be the best influence**

**Coz I can be violent and hateful and even slightly insolent**

**But I love my little brother and I'll be damned if I let any mothafucka**

**Put his hands on him or hurt him, I can't find another way to word it**

**I can't explain how much he means to me! No matter how cold I seem to be!**

**Even the slightest of bit of laughter, can bring out a shining gleam in me!**

**And everytime he smiles at me I get a little sad**

**Coz that little kid right there reminds me of my dad**

**And my dad? Yeah he left us, when I was only 9!**

**And I'll hate him for that forever**

**Through all existence and time!**

**But not because he left me**

**But because he left his other son**

**With 2 dysfunctional family members**

**And that's something he shouldn'ta done!**

**But in the end it don't really matter because as long as he keeps laughin**

**To that little brother I won't let anything happen**

***Flashback***

Gohan's face was redder than he had ever felt before, this page must have fallen out of his book. And worse still he could feel Videl's eyes boring into him, waiting for an answer or response. Though she had a pretty good idea based by the redness in his cheeks. Honestly she thought that it was adorable how embarrassed he was about her seeing his little rap for his brother. She remembered a line from it even that answered a lot of questions she had about him,  
><em>"No matter how cold I <em>_**seem **__to be huh?" _She questioned internally, _"Why is he so protective about his emotions? Why does he feel the need to hide any trace of love in that heart of his? Is he afraid to love?" _Videl wondered, considering the possibility, before realising what she was thinking. _"Why do I care anyway? Ugh" _she huffed at herself mentally.

Over the next few days nothing too exciting happened. Videl had laid off Gohan a bit and she was paying more attention to the little things he did. But through one of Gohan's conversations with his friends Videl learned his friend Q had another battle at the same warehouse on Friday, and so she was determined to make it to this one too.

***Thursday afternoon, End of school***

As she had been doing for the past few days Videl waited in her car outside the school to follow Gohan when he drove away with his friends. Sharpener would drive and she would write down anything she noticed. School had ended and she and Sharpener were already in the car when Gohan and his friends got in their and started it. As they drove past Videl and Sharpener peeled out of the parking lot close behind them. As always the guys were blasting music from the car as they drove and were rowdily arguing and laughing in the car. Today, Videl noted, they were playing some slightly less intimidating music.

**"NOW THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR ME!** **SO E'RRYBODY!**

**JUST FOL-LOW ME, COZ WE NEED A LITTLE**

**CON-TRO-VER-SY, COZ IT WOULD FEEL SO EMP-TY WITHOUT ME!"**

The spying teenagers eventually pulled up to the side of the road about 50 yards behind Gohan and co. They watched intently as Gohan got out of the car first and leaned into the passenger window. Videl wished silently that she could read lips as Gohan said something to Q that she couldn't hear. After that he seemed to wait there for a moment before Slick handed him something. The street they were in was mostly shadowed due to the low sun and tall buildings and so she couldn't see what it was but after that the car drove away and Gohan put the object in his pocket before beginning to walk further down the street. Videl realized that she would not be able to follow by car from this point on.  
>"Sharpener I'll go on foot from here just wait for me I'll be back in a few okay?" she asked her friend as he opened the door,<br>"Got it, stay outta sight" he told her before settling into his seat and turning the radio on and pulling out a magazine.

Videl moved from car to car, from dumpster to corner, and mailbox to hydrant as silently as a cat. Though she had to hand it to Gohan, he somehow kept hearing her or noticing her and turning around. Luckily for her, after helping the police force for a while she had learned to stay out of sight, and so far she had always ducked back behind cover in time. Gohan was walking straight for a building in an area called 7 Ball road. It was an old looking run down apartment complex. It was covered in graffiti and was very dirty and ugly looking. Some windows had lights on some didn't. Gohan was nearing the entry door to the complex when a gunshot was heard from inside the building followed shortly by a scream and then another, giving Videl a fright and freezing her with fear. She saw Gohan immediately look up to one of the windows and scream, "MOM! GOTEN!" before making to run to the door when a man with a hood and a red bandanna hiding from his nose down came out the door with a gun, holding a bag that was probably filled with money. He pointed the gun at Gohan at point blank range and Videl's heart sunk in her chest as she realised that Gohan was about to die, right in front of her eyes.

But the second before the gun was to be fired, Gohan's right hand came up and, palm open, delivered a right cross to the side of the fire-arm, knocking the hand holding the gun to Gohan's left, followed by the assailant dropping it. Videl watched as it slid across the ground away from them. Gohan, without missing a beat, followed up with a left uppercut to his attacker's ribs. The hooded man dropped the bag and grabbed his side in a fruitless effort to subdue the pain. Gohan then grabbed his jacket by the collarbone area, head-butted the would-be killer in the nose with the part of his skull just above his hairline, causing the man's bandanna to come loose and blood to spray from his nostrils. Gohan used his grip on the disorientated man to throw him away from the door. A second man carrying a baseball bat ran from the door and took a wide swing at the back of Gohan's head. Gohan crouched to duck it and threw his elbow backwards into the coward's crotch before turning and grabbing the man behind the knees and picking him up and then subsequently dropping him on his head. Then a third man surprised Gohan by jumping on his back. Gohan tried to shake him off but could not quite manage it. Then the first guy sat himself up and, on all fours, tried to crawl to the gun, but Gohan brought his sneaker to the side of his head before he could, knocking him out cold. The second one however drew a small knife and lunged at Gohan while he was being held. Gohan managed to bring his forearm up to where the knife was going to hit and, as calculated, the knife went into about the middle of his forearm, halfway up.

Gohan screamed in agony before gritting his teeth and throwing his arm backward, the handle of the knife buried in his flesh hitting his restrainer in the face, surprising him enough for Gohan to jump and plant both of his feet on the stabber's chest and kick off him, throwing all 3 of them to the ground. Gohan recovered first as he had prepared his body for the impact and he rolled over and grabbed the gun just as the other two were about to get up and charge him. Upon seeing the 9 millimeter pointed at their face however, they quickly changed their minds.

Videl saw the internal struggle going on in Gohan's head as he tried to bring himself to shoot them. But Videl then saw something she rarely saw in Gohan. Compassion. In an act of unprecedented compassion Gohan's face softened to his would-be killers and said, "Get your friend and go" gesturing down the street with his head, keeping the gun trained on them. The two conscious goons grabbed their friend and ran for it. Gohan moved to pick up the money with his free hand when he felt the pain and realised the knife was still in his arm and he had lost quite a bit of blood. Gohan fell to a knee feeling suddenly dizzy and Videl knew he was going to need help. Videl removed herself from her hiding place and jogged over to Gohan, "Hey do you need help?!" she called out somewhat worried. Gohan looked at her in surprise for a moment but nodded, before his face got serious.  
>"Yeah, I'm going to pull this knife out and then I need you to bind my wound tightly" Gohan explained to her.<br>"Okay what do I use to bi-" but before Videl could finish her sentence Gohan threw his hat to the side and pulled his large black t-shirt over his head before rolling it in a way that the cloth was long enough to be tied but thick enough and compact enough to stop the blood as best as possible. Videl however was a bit distracted by the scars across his chest.  
><em>"Not the time to be digging into his personal life Videl dammit!" <em>she thought to herself.  
>"Alright are you ready? I'm going to pull the knife out. You're going to have to be as quick as possible or I could pass out" Gohan told her, receiving a determined nod from the girl. So at that he carefully grabbed the knife and slowly pulled it up out the appendage.<p>

As soon as the knife was out his arm a steady stream of blood began flowing from his injury and Videl immediately wrapped the cloth around his arm and tied a vary tight knot over it, staunching the blood flow. Videl had it done quickly but couldn't help but notice the slightly pale tone of Gohan's skin and the half-asleep expression that he was trying to shake. Videl moved to help him up but Gohan subsequently passed out and fell headfirst into her lap. Videl attempted to lift the teen but it was proving ineffective. She sat there panting looking at the unconscious, muscular form of Gohan when Sharpener came running around the corner looking worried.  
>"Videl! I heard the shots and hid in the car but then I saw these guys run from where you went and I ran to see if you were okay!" he told her panicking looking at small spatters of blood on the floor and the unconscious, half-naked Gohan infront of a panting Videl.<br>"You didn't rape him did you?" Sharpener asked half jokingly, half serious, receiving only a glare in response.  
>"Shut up and help me stand him up we have to take him to my place" Videl told Sharpener.<br>"No Videl we have to get him to a hospi-" Sharpener began to argue,  
>"He lives in a low socio-economic area and his family lives in poverty he doesn't have the money to have private healthcare! He'll have better luck with the nurse at my house!" Videl argued, convincing her friend who nodded grimly that it was the smarter option. They loaded Gohan into the back of their car and drove to the Satan residence.<p>

The Satan mansion was a massive bit of land with a 100 yard driveway with garden hedges on either side leading up to the house. Once at the front door it became apparent that on the other side of the hedge was a road back down the driveway. The entire exterior of the mansion was made of grey bricks, like an old castle but the window frames and wooden double doors were all carved perfectly from mahogany. On the front door was a solid gold door knock shaped into an 'H' with perfectly molded and chiseled bevels and embossments. In each of the intricately carved Mahogany doors was a one-way glass window. All around the estate were top of the range security equipment. noise detectors, motion sensors, laser trip-wires, and at the front door there was a fingerprint scanner. Videl let herself into the home and she and Sharpener carried Gohan inside.

**The next morning**

Gohan's eyes fluttered once before he blinked hard, attempting to shut out the heat and light streaming in from his window. He blinked a few more times and sat up. He moved to rub his eye with his left hand when a dull, burning pain in his forearm jolted him fully awake. His eyes shot down to his arm to see slightly bloodied bandages wrapped around his forearm and he didn't know why. He looked around the room and noticed he was not in his own home. Infact this room was completely foreign to him and he began to panic at the situation,  
><em>"Where the fuck am I?!" <em>he thought in a frenzy, when he heard voices and footsteps. Gohan threw the sheets of his shirtless form and, as quietly as possible, dashed to the section of wall besides the door and pushed his back up against it. When the door opened he lunged and grabbed the guy in a choke hold from behind, wrapping his right arm around his collarbone and neck, gripping the inside of his left elbow before locking the grip, pressing against the throat and pulling up against the underside of his jaw, quickly cutting off his air supply and putting pressure on his neck. But his eyes quickly registered Videl standing out the door looking at him surprised and slightly fearful. He looked at who he was holding to see Sharpener's face looking pained and turning slightly purple. Gohan freaked out and released him quickly, yesterdays events flooding back into his head, "Sorry man!" he amended quickly, "I didn't recognize the room and kinda panicked" he hurriedly explained.

Videl then continued to explain the entire situation to Gohan, what happened, how and why they brought him here, and his condition. Gohan initially worried about his family but calmed at hearing that his family was fine and his mother had actually thanked Videl for offering to get Gohan private medical treatment. Apparently the stab didn't hit any major arteries, however he was required to stay the day and let the nurse monitor him to make sure he didn't get an infection from the potentially bacteria covered weapon before Videl would personally make sure Gohan got treated at a hospital using her father's name and connections.  
>"And don't even think about turning down this offer Gohan" She warned him with a glare and point, "I hate using my father's name to get my way but you need medical attention" she told him with a sense of finality that told Gohan arguing with her would prove fruitless and only be a waste his energy.<br>"So I guess I ain't makin' it to school today huh? Damn, I'll miss Q's battle..." Gohan said aloud, though the downcast expression he had indicated that the last part was more to himself than anyone in the room.  
>"I'm sure your friend will understand" Videl said looking at Gohan with a soft smile, finding it extremely foolish yet endearing that Gohan's biggest concern was missing his friend's rap battle.<p>

Gohan must have noticed the look, and looked at her seriously and suspiciously,  
>"Why are you helping me? I thought you hated me" and at that moment Videl realized that she was being too nice and dropped the smile, her face reddening slightly with embarassment,<br>"I-well...you-I couldn't...I couldn't let you die, it seemed so undignified for you to just die in a gutter with a knife in you...sooo I helped you. Look does it matter? You're alive and well, let's just say you owe me one okay? Besides, helping people's what I do" she finished with a huff, averting her eyes and avoiding looking at the muscular form before her, "And put a shirt on would ya! Quit showing off!" she said, with an even redder face, though this time, from anger or embarrassment Gohan couldn't tell.  
>He turned his nose up indignantly,<br>"Incase you didn't remember your _highness_ my shirt is covered in blood" Gohan bickered back. leaving Sharpener to just sigh at the pair exasperatedly. They were interrupted by a call from Gohan's mobile however. Gohan picked up the phone and Videl watched as his face morphed from an expression of curiosity, to worry, to pain and shock. The most she had seen of him so far. Gohan's face turned into one of fury and hurt, as his jaw hung open still in shock. He began to shake slightly and his mobile fell to the floor.  
>"Gohan? Gohan what's up?" Videl asked still slightly heated from their argument when she saw a single tear roll down his cheek. Immediately her anger was washed away by the tidal wave of concern she felt, "Hey, Gohan!? she said, leaning close and shaking his shoulders. Gohan's eyes drifted up to meet hers and she saw all the emotion raging in his eyes like a storm.<br>"It's my friend Stretch...he's..." Gohan seemed to be unable to finish the sentence and Videl's eyes widened at what he was saying without speaking. Sharpener uncrossed his arms and his mouth hung open. Not sure what to say. Videl quickly pulled Gohan into a hug she knew he needed. Rubbing his back soothingly

"dead..."


	3. One Less Homie

JJ: Yo! What's shakin!? Ain't got much to say this time around 'cept thanks for the reviews everybody! And once again to the anonymous reviewers I can't respond to yes this was inspired by the movie 8 Mile but it's not the same. Just the setting and a very minimal part of the plot (Being the rap battles. They may seem important now but they're one of the smaller plot points) That's all I got to say this chapter, LET'S GET IT!

**Chapter 3: One Less Homie**

Gohan was sitting in an alley not far from his house with Quincy, Tyrone, Trunks and Andy. Trunks was slightly shorter than Gohan with a similar muscular build and short curtained Lavender hair and blue eyes. He was wearing baggy blue jeans, white hi-tops and a navy blue jacket with the collar turned up. His family was middle class, thanks to his mother's many inventions. His father had been friends with Gohan's father but he was disabled from the waist down after a shooting 7 years prior. Vegeta luckily was able to walk again thanks to one of his wife's inventions, a highly advanced leg brace that was low-profile enough to be hidden under Vegeta's clothes. The surgery to insert the braces had been a painful one but it allowed Vegeta to continue walking and even jog at a moderate pace without jutting out his leg like an exoskeleton. Andy was about Trunks' height with Black shoulder-length hair. Jeans torn at the knees, Blue canvas sneakers a baggy black long sleeve shirt and an orange bandanna around his neck adorned his form. Andy's only family was his slightly older sister who got them by working as a waitress. People often said his sister and he looked like twins but she was actually a year and a half older than he was. The siblings shared their parents blue eyes. Their parents had been murdered 3 years ago.

The group milled around in total silence and shock,  
>"Dead?" Trunks repeated, suddenly feeling the guilt hit him full force. He had been the one to invite Stretch on the repo job.<br>Gohan's fists clenched and his knuckles whitened,  
>"Yeah, apparently they didn't assess his condition well enough and the knife had penetrated his shoulder blade, struck a major artery not far from his heart and caused shards of the bones to lodge themselves throughout his insides. But by the time they figured it out he didn't have much time left and his family couldn't come up with the money so they just...let him <em>die <em>right there on the hospital bed" Gohan ground out, the pure fury at the injustice coursing through his veins evident in the way his eyes gleamed.  
>"That's BULLSHIT!" Tyrone screamed and punched the brick wall, splitting the skin on his knuckles, clenching his free hand, shutting his eyes tightly in an attempt to ward off the tears. Andy, always the level headed one, closed his eyes and breathed deeply trying to ease the storm going on in his heart. Quincy's eyes watered and he said a prayer to his deceased friend, kissing his cross necklace and silently asking god to treat Stretch well up there in the pearly gates.<br>"Gohan I know it isn't fair but the hospital isn't the one who put him there" Trunks said hoping to ease his friend. But Andy's eyes only snapped open at him in bewilderment with a look that said,  
><em>"What the fuck are you doing!?" <em>And as if on cue Gohan's eyes shot up to meet Trunks with realisation in his eyes.  
>"You're right..." He said, and got up, walking to where Q's car was parked, taking the keys off Q as he walked. <p>

"Gohan what are you thinkin man!?" Trunks said with apprehension as he moved to follow him, closely followed by Andy.  
>"I'm gonna go make that motherfucker pay!" Gohan said with finality, confirming Trunks' and Andy's thoughts.<br>"Yo man you gotta drop it! Doin this ain't gonna bring him back homie!" Andy tried to reason, grabbing Gohan's arm as Trunks stepped between him and the car. Gohan struggled out of their grip and attempted to get back to the car.  
>"GET THE FUCK OFF ME I'M GONNA KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH! I DON'T GIVE A FUCK I JUST WANT HIS BRAINS SPATTERED ALL OVER THE FUCKIN PAVEMENT!" the teen declared in rage, his eyes ablaze with hate and anger, causing Tyrone and Q to run over and help restrain him.<br>"CALM DOWN MY NIGGA HE'S ALREADY INCARCERATED!" Q shouted in an attempt to reason with his long time friend, "WHAT YOU GON' FIGHT'CHO WAY THROUGH THE POLICE STATION AND BEAT HIM IN HIS FUCKIN CELL!? HE'S GON' BE CONVICTED AND PUT TO DEATH ANYWAYS HOMIE JUST DROP IT!" he finished, hoping to god his words would break through the wall of emotions to his rational mind. Q had been Gohan's friend for a long time and knew that this kind of thing had happened a few times. When Gohan got REALLY mad it's like he'd lose control over himself and be taken over by hate. Once he broke another boy's nose because the dumb kid had teased Gohan about his father abondoning him in 5th grade. And then in their freshman year in high-school he put a kid in hospital with several broken ribs and a fractured cheekbone for bringing up his mother's alcoholism. Q had witnessed it plenty of times and had sat down with his friend after the latter incident and talked to him about learning to control that anger and let it go. That was how Gohan dealt with bullying and hard-ship nowadays, but every now-and-then his anger still exploded like a volcano, seemingly out of nowhere, if one where to somehow and for some reason make him angry enough. So Q took it upon himself to try and be there every time to calm him down, reminding him to make sure his rational thought stays in authority over his body, and to not let the anger take the metaphorical wheel on his actions.

At Q's words Gohan's fire seemed to dwindle slightly, and he began struggling less.  
>"But!...Stretch! They killed him! Are we supposed to let them get away with this shit?! DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT STRETCH!?" he pleaded to his friends, trying to convince them. Every fiber of his being was just telling him to go out there and kill the fucker who did this.<br>"STRETCH WAS MY FRIEND TOO!" Q screamed back, losing his temper momentarily, surprising Gohan. A short silence followed before Q continued in a quiet defeated voice "But he's gone man, and nothing we do will stop the pain homie. Revenge will only twist yo mind and warp you till you ain't even recognizable anymore man! I don't wanna see that happen to you dawg!" Q begged desperately. And the fire faded from Gohan's eyes completely, as if doused by a bucket of icy water. Gohan slumped slightly and the group let go of him, still wary of him. Gohan, dragged his feet a few feet away from them to the boot of the car, keeping his back to his friends.  
>"He ain't comin back man..." Q finished quietly, before going silent, letting it sink in for his friend.<p>

The reality of the situation finally hit Gohan like a ton of bricks to the gut and his rational mind brought him back to the real world. Gohan realized that nothing was going to bring his friend back, nothing he did would be enough to stop the pain. He couldn't save everyone, in fact, he couldn't save anyone, and no amount of whining, hating and complaining was going to change that simple fact. He clenched his fists as tears began streaming down his face,  
>"AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!" Gohan screamed in complete and total agony, raising both his hands above his head and slamming them down against the boot of the car, causing a loud clang to ring out around the otherwise silent neighborhood. He stumbled back 2 steps before sinking to his knees, clenching his fists at his side, and throwing his head back "RAAAAAAaaaaagh!" he bellowed again, leveling out at the end this time, his arms dropping limp at his sides, his face still turned to the sky. His face now one of blank sadness as tears cascaded down his face as it began to rain lightly. Gohan simply watched the clouds above him as they rained upon him, masking his tears as they slowly but surely saturated his skin and clothes. The group merely looked on in mutual sadness at his obvious pain of being powerless to do or have done anything that Gohan was feeling as they too became soaked with the icy rain water.<p>

"We should go Videl it's starting to rain" Sharpener told his Raven-haired friend quietly as he got back in the car. Videl nodded, quietly replying with a weak,  
>"Yeah..." glancing one last time at the group of boys around the corner about 40 feet away from them, before getting back in the car and driving away. She had dropped Gohan off here at his request, despite her nurse telling her he should stay inside until he had recovered a bit more, but one look at Gohan's eyes told her all she needed to know. Gohan HAD to do this, break the news to his friends. Once they arrived they pretended to leave but she had Sharpener come back around and pull up just out of sight where they could watch. She looked in the rearview mirror one last time as the car pulled away from the neighborhood and her heart went out to the caring, loving, protective heart that was hiding behind a tough-guy persona all the time. <em>"Gohan..." <em>

JJ: And that's a wrap folks, sorry for such a short chapter but this was mainly just to do a little bit of character development, touch on the subject of Stretch's murder, and introduce a few of the characters who had before been mentioned but not introduced. Yes Trunks is Trunks from DBZ, Andy is Android 17 in case you couldn't tell. Anyway, next chapter should be longer than this one, so yeah I'll try to get that one out soon for you all. Until next time homies.


	4. Rap Beef

JJ: Back again people I know it's been a while since I updated this but I had a swarm of assignments and exams at school but in the following weeks I should have plenty more time since holidays are coming up and I have no work left to do. Anyways let's jump right into this.

**Chapter 4: Beef**

Gohan and his friends were currently watching Q's latest battle against a rapper named 'Homie-cidal Maniac' and winning quite easily. It had been 3 weeks since Stretch had died and Gohan had skipped school the entire first week after the incident. Choosing instead to hide out in that guest room Videl insisted he could use for the week. Q had won the battle that took place the Friday only hours after Stretch died as he had turned off his phone and Gohan had no way of contacting him until long after the cypher was over and Q had switched his phone back on. The death of his friend had not stopped Q however and only seemed to make him more potent to battle. He re-directed his pent up anger and loss into his battles and it seemed to help considerably.

At school on the second week, life was relentless. Chi-chi got drunk again and chased Gohan out the house after another long argument, leaving Gohan to sleep in the stairwell to their apartment up against the wall for the night. The next morning Chi-chi apologised as she always did but it didn't make Gohan any less stiff and sore. That day at school he caught no breaks. He was hammered by his classes and almost drowned in homework. He rarely got a moment of peace. On the Thursday of that week Gohan was sitting in his English class, knowing he didn't need to listen. He was a prodigy in this class and so he used this class as an opportunity to work on other class's work, but today he just felt like relaxing. Gohan's eyes drifted out the window and his eyes drank the beautiful way the sun shone through the dark, healthy green leaves of the abundant tree outside his classroom. It created shafts of golden light that shone upon everything, giving their classroom a bright, honey-coloured glow. Most surprisingly however was the way he found himself admiring the way one such ray of sunshine illuminated the Satan girl. Videl. The girl had proved quite the human being as of late. She had lent him one of her estate's many guest rooms for a week, provided him with food and even company on some occasions. She had her nurse make sure his wound on his arm healed up nicely and she was much nicer towards him nowadays. Gohan often wondered what had caused the sudden change of heart. Just weeks ago Videl and her blonde friend Sharpener always seemed to be on his case, making him feel like shit and generally making his life at school hell. But now not only Sharpener but VIDEL HERSELF was treating him like another human being and not just a waste of oxygen. It was strange but stranger was the way he suddenly caught his gaze scanning her form. He shook his head, arguing to himself that it was just the way the light cast a slight shadow over her features and gleamed against her pale skin that intrigued him so.

Then throughout the third week up until this day he began conversing with the Satan girl more often. He even got to the point where he would consider her a friend of his. Videl seemed to be genuinely selfless and intelligent. She was strong, both physically and mentally and she seemed to be a legitimately nice person. Gohan almost couldn't believe it but it appeared to be so. He had befriended Videl Satan, who would have guessed at that? Gohan's life seemed to finally get better after 3 weeks of hell after the death of his friend. Q seemed to deal with it much better despite the fact that Q knew Stretch the best out of all of them. Gohan took note of that and considered that maybe his long-time friend was masking his emotions, or perhaps his belief in god gave him reason to believe that their friend was in good hands up there with the big man. Gohan couldn't say for sure but he dared not ask his friend, or talk to him about anything to do with this matter. It seemed that the topic of Stretch was to be taboo for a few months at least.

In reality Q wasn't dealing too well. At home his mother feared for her son he seemed too depressed and down since Stretch had died. She watched her son's habits change before her eyes and though she knew it was only temporary and that he was just mourning in his own way she thought it was unhealthy for him to just not talk to anyone about it. Apparently not even Gohan was being confided in. Q instead chose to isolate himself and attempt to forget about it all. He slept in later than he normally did. He turned in earlier, he ate far less and he barely spoke more than 2 words to her a day. But she gave him his space. She knew how hard it must have been to lose someone so close to him at such a young age. She felt very sorry for her son having to experience loss and have to face the mortality and inevitable, eventual death of the human race at such a young age. People his age were supposed to feel invincible and all-knowing but Q and she guessed all his friends were never really like that in the first place. They were all rather street-smart kids, being raised in this god forsaken place. But all the same she couldn't help but wish she had some way of comforting her son in a way other than hugging him and telling him she would always be willing to listen.

Finally on Friday of the final week, the guys all congregated after school and after Trunks and Andy got back from work and they all attended Q's battle. It was a first time for Trunks and Andy and to say they were surprised by their friend's hidden talent would be an understatement. They're jaws hung open and their eyes bugged out at the ability their friend seemed to have naturally for battle-rapping. At the end of the cypher Q had won and dropped down from the stage to his friends.

"You killed that fool man! You'll be battling Menance 2 Society soon! If you can beat him you'll get a record deal fo' sho!" Slick encouraged him enthusiastically, as the crowd of people slowly moved out the doors of the warehouse.

"Thanks homie" Q replied humbly, walking over to Gohan, "How do you think I did man?" he asked Gohan.

"You tore up the stage homie" Gohan said giving a slight thumbs up, before falling back into deep thought. As the group left the warehouse none other than Menace himself approached them with a small group of his friends.

"Hey yo kid, I been watching you battle, gotta say you got skill nigga" he told Q, somehow not losing his arrogant appearance and tone as he complimented him, keeping his chin up and his sneer evident. Gohan looked him over suspiciously.

_"Something is off about him"_ he thought privately.

"What say you join me and my crew? Soon you'll be forced to battle me and neither of us want that" and in that moment Gohan's mind clicked. This confidence was a mask. Gohan could see he was sweating ever so slightly on the forehead and his eyes betrayed his false confidence.

Gohan smirked and thought proudly, _"He's afraid he'll lose. That's what this is about."_

Q smiled politely and replied, "No thank you, I actually do want to battle you, to test myself out against you. You're supposed to be the best around here" This response however only seemed to anger Menace.

"You think you hot nigga?! You ain't shit muthafucka!" But at that Gohan stepped in between them and gave him a menacing look.

"Fuck off" he said simply. And Menace having heard all about the last fight Gohan had after a cypher, backed off.

"Man forget these punk-asses!" Menace yelled more to himself than anyone, before he turned with his crew and left.

Though, even as Gohan managed to scare them off, he had a BAD feeling about those guys. Menace in particular. Just the indignant, afraid and angry expression in his eyes before he retreated gave Gohan a sinking feeling in his stomach, not unlike the one he felt the day he got the call about Stretch. Quite frankly it drove Gohan mad not knowing why he felt that horrid foreboding rock in the pit of his stomach.

"He seemed angry" Andy commented, receiving a nod from Trunks.

Slick just smiled, "That busta's afraid of Q AND Gohan guys. We ain't got nothin to worry about" he reassured them all.

"Seems that way I guess" Trunks commented with a sigh, pushing the urge to kill the guy to the side. He couldn't explain it but he got a bad vibe from this 'Menace' guy. _"It's in the name I guess"_ he thought to himself, "Well Andy and I gotta go now guys, we'll see you guys sometime this weekend" Trunks told them in goodbye as he and Andy lazily paced to Trunks' car.

"I guess we should head out too" Gohan said to Q and Slick as they too headed for their own vehicle. The group piled into the car with Gohan sitting in the passenger seat as always, flicking through the radio. Stopping occasionally at classics, **"I'm representin for the gangsters-" *Click* "I'm Slim Shady yes I'm the rea-" *click* "You can find me in da club, bottle full of bub look-"**

As their car took them away from the warehouse Gohan spotted a black 1996 model Cadillac with all tinted windows pull out not long after them through the side-mirror, and though it seemed suspicious Gohan realised that that kind of vehicle was pretty common around this area and that he was probably just still tense from the confrontation with Menace before. He was simply being paranoid. _"Christ Gohan. Calm yourself"_ he thought. The group arrived at Slick's place without incident dropping him off before Q started driving to Gohan's place to drop him off. Once again the trip was made without incident and soon they were at Gohan's place. _"I keep thinkin something's gonna happen. That guy shook me up real bad" _Gohan noted mentally.

"Yo you should come in for a little bit and say hello" Gohan said as he stood up and out the vehicle.

"Nah man I should really be getting home" Q responded but Gohan simply wouldn't have it, it seemed.

"Come on my family ain't seen you in forever man, just for a little" Gohan reasoned with his friend, earning a defeated sigh, and a nod.

The two made their way to the apartment and knocked on the door. Chi-Chi answered and greeted Q happily, stepping aside to let them in the apartment. Once Goten greeted Q in his usual enthusiastic way the two teens made their way into Gohan's room where they listened to music and talked for a bit. Suddenly Q's phone made a beeping noise and he pulled it out.

"It's official, I'm battling Menace next week man" Q revealed smiling, however the remark didn't bring the same smile to his friend's face. "Gohan? Why you look troubled dawg?"

Gohan simply smiled weakly before replying, "I'm happy for you and all, it's just that guy gives me a bad feeling. It's probably nothing and just those rumours that he's a gang member getting me all jumpy about this shit."

Q just chuckled at his friend, "Nigga you worry too much man" the shorter boy laughed good-naturedly causing Gohan to shift uncomfortably. "What don't tell me that word still makes you uncomfortable? I told you it ain't the word it's the intent behind it-" Q began to reprimand teasingly.

"Nah man it ain't that" Gohan interrupted with a wave of his hand and a smile, "I just don't want Goten hearing yo dumb-ass and thinkin he can run around callin people the N'word homie. Coz my mom'll know exactly who taught him the word and I ain't ready to clean yo blood off my bedroom walls." Gohan finished with a smirk at the pale look Q had.

"Point taken" Q gulped audibly.

**Monday morning**

The weekend had flown past in what seemed like no time at all. Nothing eventful happened and in no time Slick, Q and Gohan were in Q's car on the way to school. They arrived in the car park music blasting getting looks from their peers and earning exasperated remarks from some of them and comments like 'It's the ghetto boys again' and 'How did they even get in this school anyway?' But of course none of this bothered the trio in the slightest. They simply ignored them and approached the front doors of the multi-story high school. Gohan made eye-contact with Videl at the top of the stairs, whom seemed to be trying to catch his eye. The raven-haired girl smiled and waved at him. Gohan awkwardly smiled back, still confused at the girls sudden 180 in personality. As the group neared the front doors, a kid with no back-pack and a hoodie turned and revealed his fact to the trio which was mostly covered by a Red and White bandanna. Immediately alarm bells went off in Gohan's head as he remembered that the East City gang called the 'East City Gatz' wore such colours. After the confrontation with Menace on Friday, whom was rumoured to be part of said gang, Gohan was on high alert and upon seeing the kid reach behind and under his hoodie he assumed the worst.

Gohan lunged forward and crossed his left arm across his body grabbing the wrist of the threat that was reaching behind him and with his right arm elbowed the kid in the face causing him to stumble back. Gohan, not willing to allow him a second to recover, pushed his assault and grabbed the guy's arms and forced them behind his back. Gohan then let go of the arms with one hand and used his forearm to force the guys face into a wall.

"WOAH MAN PEACE! PEACE!" The guy yelled frantically.

"WHO ARE YOU!?" Gohan shouted back as everyone looked on in shock and surprise at the sudden series of events. In response the kid, for a time, could only whimper and seemingly struggle to breathe as Gohan realised he was using too much force on this kid and loosened his grip slightly.

"Look man I was just joking, I was just tryna scare y'all! I heard about the conflict y'all had on Friday and thought it'd be funny" the kid yelled in an effort to explain himself, "It ain't a real gun I swear don't hurt me!" he begged Gohan who looked confused.

Gohan removed his forearm from the back of his neck and brought it down and lifted the back of his sweater, spotting a simple water pistol tucked in his waistband. Gohan let out a frustrated sigh and yanked the pistol out, simultaneously letting go of the kid's arms and spinning him around by a shoulder, using that same shoulder to slam his back against the wall, shoving the water pistol in his face.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! You think this shit is a game!?" Gohan yelled angrily, letting go of the pistol with two fingers which he used to rip the bandanna of his face. Q stepped up to him and grabbed Gohan's shoulder firmly.

"Chill G what's up with you? It was just a stupid joke" his friend told him, glancing around at all the people watching, daring them to say a word, because Gohan was obviously not in the mood for it. "Let the kid go, he's learnt his lesson"

Gohan seemed like he was trying very hard to calm himself down. He looked like he wanted to keep yelling and his mouth opened as if to continue but piercing blue eyes like crystals caught his eye to his right where Videl stood at the top of the stairs with a concerned expression on her face. His eyes shot back to the kid and then to his left and saw all the people eyeing him with fear, disgust and surprise. The teen's mouth opened a closed a few more times as if trying to find the words before he grunted in frustration and gripped the kids shoulder harder for a second before taking a deep breath and letting go. Gohan smoothed the kid's clothes out and apologized for any injury he caused him, handing him his water pistol and quickly walking up the stairs with an expression of shame on his face.

Videl noticed that Gohan purposely avoided eye-contact with her as he moved up the stairs and speed-walked to the bathrooms. After a few moments the crowd started to thin out and move away, talking animatedly about what they had just seen. Videl kept staring in the direction Gohan had left for a while and almost didn't notice Gohan's friends Quincy and Tyrone walking past her up the stairs talking quietly. Videl chased them up calling out to them. Hearing her Tyrone turned and saw her looking right at them and whispered something to Quincy.

"Hey what just happened back there?" Videl asked the two with concern, earning her suspicious looks from the two.

"Why the hell would we tell yo ass pop-tart?" Tyrone asked leeringly. Videl felt some anger bubble up in her at that but she figured yelling at them wouldn't help her. "Far as I know Gohan ain't never made friends with rich, bossy, white girls" he added, after looking over her, frustrating her more.

"Hey listen here buddy! Gohan IS my friend, and as a matter of fact I'm the one who took care of him after he got stabbed and comforted him when your friend died! So FORGIVE me for being concerned for him!" Videl rattled off, feeling a strong sense of satisfaction and smugness emerge at the shocked, guilty, then fearful faces they pulled at this revelation.

This time however it was Q to respond to her, "I'm sorry about what my friend said we're a bit tense at the moment and we didn't know. I guess you deserve SOME semblance of an explanation" he finished with an exhausted sigh. "Well ever since me and Gohan were kids he's had an anger management problem. He's kind of like a berserker if you will. If he loses his temper he gets very aggressive very quickly and it's hard to calm him down when he's like that. Lately he's been on edge because of a confrontation I had with-"

"Menace 2 Society right?" Videl finished, not thinking much about it before realizing what she just admitted to knowing. Seeing the suspicious looks on their faces she added quickly, "I follow Gohan around at those rap battles a lot without him knowing to try to find out more about him" Videl admitted, realizing how creepy that sounded when said out loud.

At this Tyrone, or Slick rather, raised an amused eye-brow and smirked, "Hear that Q? Sounds like our homie got a secret admirer…. a fine one too" he added once again looking over Videl, causing her to blush and frown.

"What!? No way why would you even insinuate something like that, Gohan is just a friend to me, not to mention he's poor and violent. I saw that fight a few weeks back against the big group of guys he had! I saw how he…single-handedly took down..a whole group, fighting like a god….disguised as a man" she rambled on distantly, before the blush and frown returned full force, "Mean and violent and secretive!" she added quickly, seemingly desperately trying to dispel any such thoughts.

Q simply smiled lightly at the girl, "Of course, it was dumb of him and we sorry for saying shit like that. Back on topic, yeah Menace is rumoured to be part of an East City gang, which happens to sport bandannas like the one the kid was wearing. G has been on edge because he say he has a bad feeling about those guys. We think he's just being paranoid and them rumours are gettin' him all twisted. We assure you he'll be fine girl"

Videl was filled with relief at this enlightenment and smiled, "Okay thank you guys. It's a big relief knowing he'll be okay. Tell him if he ever wants to talk about it he knows where to find me"

Slick gave her a thumbs up, "You got it shawty we'll pass on the message" he said, however his smile quickly turned to a terrified look when he saw her expression.

"Did you just make fun of my HEIGHT?!" she demanded in anger, her fists shaking. While Videl was quite small for a fighter she was still one of the best around and before had been considered the best fighter in the school, however she supposed that title now went to Gohan. That didn't mean that Slick wasn't scared of the girl though.

"Nah! Nah chill girl! It's just somethin' we say! I ain't mean no disrespect to you or nothin' I swear" Slick urgently told her with his hands up defensively, relaxing slightly when he saw the girls expression relax and her fists stop shaking. Videl's mouth opened in an 'O' face and she straightened out.

"Oh…like, black lingo and stuff?" she asked curiously, causing confusion in the faces of the ethnic duo talking to her as they nodded. "Wait are you guys like gangsters and stuff? Like in the movies?" she whispered to them excitedly, leaning in close almost comically. "Do you like live in the hood and shoot people and sell drugs?" she asked them, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"What? Um, well yeah when Slick and I was younger we sold crack to get by. If that's what you're askin I mean" Q replied to her, bewildered at the surprise and interest on her face.

"That kinda stuff really happens?! Woah! So is Slick like your gang name? Is Gohan part of your gang even though he's white? Does Gohan get to call you the 'n' word since he's part of your gang or is that still not allowed? Is Gohan a gangster? Did HE sell drugs? Has he ever killed somebody? How many people have you killed?" Videl continued rattling off questions.

"Woah woah slow down girl! No Slick is just his nickname. We aren't a gang or anything just friends. Contrary to popular belief ethnicity isn't as big a deal in gangs as people think. Though there are the hardcore gangs that only allow certain ethnicities but they are far and few in between. Haha, no Gohan has never called us nigga, though not because we've ever told him he can't, he just doesn't. Nah Gohan ain't a gangbanger per say, but he is a pretty gangsta guy. Dude know how to fight, he's street smart as a thug, a great driver though he ain't got his license yet, and he certainly dresses the part. No he never sold drugs but he used to hustle cars whenever his family was in a particularly low place and they desperately needed the money. His mom's never asked where he got the money, she knew they needed it and figured it was better that she didn't know as long as her son was okay I guess. No, none of us have killed anybody" Q finished answering the girl's questions patiently, "Why you so interested?" he asked her in return.

"Well firstly I wanted to know more about Gohan and his life. That and I saw that movie with that rapper in it, too-pack and it seemed really hardcore and cool" she said, trying to recall the movie. "All of that underground stuff and people shooting each other up!"

"Uh, Videl is it? I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt your fan-girling over black culture, but it's pronounced 'Two-P-ah-k" Q corrected her, "Like the word park, but without the 'r' in it." Videl meanwhile simply nodded and absorbed the information like a sponge.

"Wow, and does Gohan get into all this stuff?" Videl asked hopefully.

Slick noticed what and why Videl was asking and before Q could answer Slick burst his way back into the conversation, "Damn straight he does!" he responded truthfully, "That lil busta know how to bust a cap fo' real! You saw that fight a few weeks back, he laid a bunch of them niggas out cold by himself. He took down 2 armed muggers and got stabbed in the process. Hell I'm betting that nigga could take a bullet and survive. He mo' hardcore than most hood niggas I knew growin up"

This response brought wonder to Videl's eyes as she considered what she had been told, "Wow….." she replied distantly in thought.

"Anyway we gotta bounce nigga, class time" Slick told Q matter-of-factly, pushing him in the direction of the school, "Let's move. Later short-stuff" he finished jokingly, though Videl seemed to be so deep in thought she didn't even hear his remark.

As the duo moved farther away from the girl Slick attempted to open his mouth with a shit-eating grin on his face but was quickly interrupted by the ever-perceptive Q, "Yeah I noticed her reactions, I DID in fact notice what you was trying there, and yes I'm on your side with this you did good" the shorter young man finished the unspoken conversation with a small smile on his face, "Now let's get to class fool"

JJ: That's the end of the chapter everyone I know it's been awhile. I thought you deserved a longer chapter this time around. Anyway it's late so until the next chapter lil homies, keep it 1hunna fam.


	5. Making a Connection

JJ: Back again enjoy chapter 5 fam

**Chapter 5: Making a connection**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot of the story which in itself is slightly inspired by '8 Mile' **

It was Tuesday and the bell signaling the end of school rang. Students of all ethnicities and cultures filtered out of the wealthy school in designer clothes. Then someone who stood out from the crowd left the doors of the school. Gohan was wearing a zip-up hoodie that was currently hanging open and baggy jeans with Nike sneakers. A plain black beanie cap with a short brim poking out from underneath the hood.

As he walked though Gohan could FEEL all the people staring at him disgustedly and judgingly after yesterday and he heard the snickers as he passed by them. They saw his baggy clothing that he probably had to salvage from some kind of charity and chuckled at his misfortune. They laughed amongst themselves, jostling his shoulders as they passed by him with smug smiles and arrogant smirks stretching their lips. He heard the girls he walked past look on in disgust and contempt at what they heard about his violent streak yesterday.

"_I heard he's got anger management problems" "That asshole beating up on a poor kid over a joke?" "How could they let someone of such a low and primitive social status be part of this school?" "He writes poetry? No gorilla who jumps to use his fists that quickly could write anything even quasi-poetic" "I hope he gets stabbed one his way home" "His mom is probably a drug lord or something" "I bet he robs people for a living, probably where he gets those poor get-ups" "What an asshole" "Jerk" "Dick" "Wannabe" "Fake" "good-for-nothing" "I heard a while ago he was supposed to be a nice guy, pfft" "two-faced asshole shows his true colors" "Liar" "Pretender"_

All these words rang in Gohan's head as he left the school and he was losing his mind, he HAD to get this off his chest. NOW.

Gohan retreated to an alleyway not far from the school and pulled out his rhyme book and began scribbling. **(A.N To get an idea of this song listen to, "The Way I Am" by Eminem. This was inspired by that song.)**

"As I sit in this alley-way, lookin for faster ways  
>out of this life style and out of this life that I live<br>Day-to-day, for what crime-do I pay  
>To have to put up with this shit ev-ery-day?<br>Sometimes I, can't help but, wish that they'd all die  
>Expire from this earth, that's my true desire<br>They call me a liar, they form an empire  
>Of hate against me, then they form an opinion<br>Based on rumours they've heard, and then pin it on me  
>They get this idea, that I'm, a nice nerd<br>Of some kind, meanwhile I  
>Don't have an idea in my mind<br>that this shit is all happening  
>While I sit here rapping and tacking my feelings on them<br>As I wrap em, and cap them.  
>I'm like anyone else, yes I have more emotions than one<br>Someone's son, who is just about done  
>Coz I have been pretty stressed out recently<br>I can't eat and I walk around sleepily  
>Trust you me, you would see<br>If you had paranoia, little things would annoy ya  
>Not just yo employer, yes even ya lawyer<br>As they defend you in court  
>For cussin someone's daughter<br>And then people who loiter  
>Or those who drink water<br>They all will piss you off  
>You'll hate with such passion you'd wonder who taught ya<br>Then you make one, small mistake, out of stress and concern  
>And everyone just looks down upon you, now you're burned<br>They've returned to just hating you, your reputation  
>Has been placed in an urn, they say you earned what you got<br>I don't mean it I'm just afraid that my friend will get shot  
>I'm just so damn fed up with<br>People who just expect so much of me  
>I can't breathe, I can't pee, I can't let out a peep<br>Without people just turning  
>And imme-diat-ely, telling me, that I'm not, who they thought I would be<br>Newsflash to you motherfuckin dick suckers  
>I am no more than human, you're leavin me fumin'<br>Telling me that I'm rude and I should, change my tune  
>Whole platoons telling me I have bad attitude<br>And to you rich cockadoos I should show gratitude  
>For getting me in this school, I'm no more than a tool<br>For you people to use, and abuse till I lose my mind  
>Short a fuse and refuse to just cruise through my life being rused<br>Out the blue I just blow, and you put on a show  
>like you don't have a clue on why I just threw<br>A so-called temper-tantrum, it's my anger anthem  
>And you clueless fools, sit there and fake-drool<br>Acting all innocent, so Auf-Wiedersehen  
>Coz you're pissin me off, kissin ass, actin zen<br>When you're anything but, in fact you're all hateful  
>I know, I've had platefuls of hate from the table<br>It makes me unstable, till my restraint fails  
>derails on details that you fucks just impale<br>through my brain about me, what I've done recently  
>Can't you see, that I'm sit-ting here try-ing to eat<br>Yet you keep dis-sin me, basic-ally cu-ssin me  
>day-in and day-out so ve-hement-ly<br>I'm just done with you assholes I can't take no more  
>By the time you hear this I'll either be rich or a corpse<br>Either way fuck you all, I made this just for you  
>Coz I'm done tryna convince all you people of who<br>I really am, you don't wanna listen  
>You just keep on dissin, and honestly it's just pissin me off<br>No more of this prison, the point y'all are missin  
>I'm done with convincing, I've made a decision<br>I got my response right in here, SO JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN

I AM, WHATEVER YOU SAY I AM! IF I WASN'T, THEN WHY WOULD I SAY I AM?!  
>DURING SCHOOL AND EVERYDAY AT HOME I AM! I dunno it's just the way I am"<p>

As Gohan wrote the last line however he felt a shadow pass over him from his left. He looked up and saw Videl standing over him with her arms behind her back as she bent slightly forward curiously, trying to see the book. Gohan recoiled a bit at first not wanting her to see what he wrote. He wasn't proud of his little angry bouts and he remembered that she had seen what happened and what she probably thought of him.

At this his face immediately darkened, "What do you want?" he asked sharply and coldly.

She visibly cringed at his tone and how short he was being with her and she knew he must be worried of what she thought of him now. "I just wanted to check up on you, you seemed pretty upset-"

"I DON'T GET UPSET!" He shouted at her, suddenly on his feet in her face. Misunderstanding her words he quickly became offended, trying to protect his pride and dignity, "I'M PISSED OFF BECAUSE ALL OF YOU TAKE THIS PRECONCIEVED IDEA OF ME WHEN YOU SEE ME!" he continued in a blind fury, oblivious to the slight fear he was causing the poor girl. As well as the shock on her face at what she was hearing. "ADD ON ALL THESE LITTLE BITS YOU HEAR FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND WHEN I ACT IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T MATCH UP TO YOUR LITTLE FUCKING DOSSIER ON ME YOU ALL TALK ABOUT HOW THE NICE GUY ACT WAS JUST A FRONT OR HOW I'VE GONE MAD!

Slowly the fear on Videl's face was beginning to subside; Gohan didn't seem to notice as he continued screaming but Videl's fear changed into sympathy for the tall enraged teen before her. "I NEVER CLAIMED TO BE A NICE GUY!" He added, jabbing at his chest with both index fingers for emphasis.

Videl had a slightly sorrowed look on her face as she took in what he was saying. At the sight of him putting up his tough-guy front she had all she needed to realise the real, true problem. While the rage was extremely convincing, Videl actually supposed that the rage was real and he was as angry as he claimed, it was certainly not the only emotion he felt on the matter.

The words themselves gave away what he was feeling underneath the hardcore exterior. Not only was he lonely from being alienated by everyone at school, but above all else he didn't want people to know that he was weak right now. He was trying to pretend that people had just got him all wrong and that his actions were normal for him and nothing was wrong but Videl saw right through it. She smiled sadly at the much taller boy unknowingly bearing his heard out to the girl.

"YOU PEOPLE MAKE THIS STUFF UP AND SPREAD IT LIKE IT'S THE WORD OF GOD THEN YOU GET MAD AT ME WHEN I DON'T LIVE UP TO YO-." But Gohan never got to finish the sentence because he was suddenly caught off guard by the short girl before him wrapping her arms around his torso and placing the side of her head to his chest. She squeezed tightly and stayed silent for a few moments before breaking the bug and standing back, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

"Gohan I'm not falling for this so just STOP trying to disguise your weakened mental state as a flaw. Enough with the tough-guy front." Videl uttered this softly yet firmly, staring dead in the eyes of the infuriated peer of hers, leaving no room for the taller teenager to argue.

Yet he seemed to push and make room as he continued nonetheless, still trying to close her out, "You don't get it do you? You THINK there's a façade but there ISN'T! I'm sorry if I am not the guy you thought I was but all I can be is just me! I'm a violent, anti-social, misogynistic, temperamental, hateful, easily aggra-" ***SMACK* **The resounding slap of skin on skin echoed in the now silent alleyway. Gohan's face had been turned slightly from the blow to his face and a red hand imprint shone brightly on his cheek as he stood there speechless, unsure of what to do in this situation.

"STOP TRYING TO SHUT ME OUT!" Videl screamed at him indignantly, tears in her eyes. "I can tell something is wrong you can't hide it from me so don't bother trying!" she screeched matter-of-factly. Videl watched as Gohan's eyes widened momentarily at her words before his eyes were cast down and he grit his teeth and clenched his fists closed tightly. "You can't get rid of me, no WAY am I going to let you go through this alone. Whether or not you consider me a friend I consider YOU my friend and I want to help you. I want nothing more than to be there for you, as someone you can confide your worries in. I know you're feeling lonely, and it hurts inside. I know because I felt that way for a long time. Before my dad got rich and famous no-one wanted anything to do with me and I could never make friends. I was always too girly for the boys and to boy-ish for the girls" Videl recounted with a slight grimace at the sad memories.

"I'm not lonely" Gohan added quickly, too quickly. He looked away to the side, his wild spiky hair poking out from underneath the beanie cap. "I have friends, and they're all I-"

"That's not what I meant" Videl said simply, not breaking eye contact with him, "And you know it." There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments as Gohan, his head still turned away from the girl, locked eyes with her. He said nothing and the silence stretched on. "Sometimes a man needs the soft, feminine, nurturing and emotional connection of a woman Gohan, and something tells me you don't get that from your mother" she said stepping forward, pulling him down so that his head was over her shoulder as she rubbed his back with her free hand. "Q will be fine Gohan nothing is going to happen to him"

Gohan's eyes flew open at that and he was tempted to break apart and question how she could possibly know about that but to be honest he didn't want to pull away. Not even his mother had never comforted him like this and it felt better than we would ever admit to anyone. Videl's smile widened when Gohan's arms slowly rose and his palms splayed themselves across her back as he hugged her back. Videl knew she was probably enjoying this far more than she should be but she couldn't let go she was too caught up in how big and strong he was and yet here he was, like putty in her hands. The power she had to do this to him stirred up butterflies in her stomach that she tried to ignore.

Suddenly the silence was broken by someone clearing their throat from the entry to the alleyway. Gohan cracked his eyes open at the sound and saw Q, giving him a look he couldn't quite read, and Slick, with a dumb shit-eating grin on his face, looking at him with Q's car parked to the side of the road by the alley.

Immediately Gohan shot up and away from the girl and coughed harshly, putting an exasperated face on before saying, "Yeah nice pep talk Videl but I don't remember giving you permission to touch me, I'll be in the car" he said indignantly and loudly enough so that Q and Slick heard him. Gohan then turned and made for the car not making eye contact with anyone on the way there. Behind him Videl simply smiled softly at his pride and looked at Q and Slick who just smiled back at her and rolled their eyes.

Suddenly and unexpectedly Videl spoke up, "Do you guys mind if I accompany you today? Just to hang out and get to know you better" she asked politely and slightly shyly. This earned raised eyebrows from Q and Slick who simply shrugged and looked to Gohan for guidance. Gohan sat in silence for a few moments before noticing the silence was strange and looked at the trio from the backseat and realised they were waiting for him to answer. After a few moments of consideration of his answer he looked her in her eye with a blank face.

"It ain't safe to get in a car alone with 3 guys you barely know Videl, you should know better than that." Gohan deadpanned, only for the troublesome girl to roll her sapphire eyes at the look in his seemingly black ones.

"Pffft, you guys are softies, I know for a fact none of you would try anything. Besides, you're forgetting who my father is. Realistically other than Gohan I'm sure I could take anyone who tried to attack me, and if you were to somehow take me a small private army and the most advanced forensic technology available to man would be looking for your asses, so I'm sure that if I wasn't safe before, after saying all that I definitely am." Videl said with a smug face and her chin turned to the air earning; wide eyes from Slick, a small smile and what sounded like a soft "clever girl" from Gohan, and a raised eyebrow from Q. Once again all eyes were on Gohan and he huffed slightly, but it was clear he was trying not to smile.

"Aight fine, if you wanna risk yo dumb-ass life go for it." he told her crossing his arms and settling back into his seat in the back left seat of the 4 seat sedan, facing forward. Videl's face broke into a bright smile as she pumped her fist and ran over to the car and excitedly hopped into the seat next to Gohan. Q and Slick just eyed each other knowingly and moved to the car and sat in the driver seat and passenger seat respectively. After checking to make sure no cars were coming up the block Q pulled onto the road and started driving.

"Videl you don't mind if we play a little music do you? It's not exactly a short drive." Q explained to her, turning his head a little in her direction but not taking his eyes off the road. Videl's mouth dropped slightly and Gohan only wondered what she was getting so hyped up over.

"You mean like, rap music?" Videl asked cautiously. Videl had always wondered what it would be like being a character in those movies, rolling around in a car with "home-boys" listening to gangster rap.

"Hell yeah nigga." Slick confirmed enthusiastically from the front seat, "It may come as a shock to y'all, but I ain't exactly into country music. Not my favourite genre. Weird I know," he joked, "So what do ya say girl, should we get this whip thumpin?"

"Did you just say whip!? As in slang for vehicle?! You guys are so cool!" she squealed excitedly, "Yeah play whatever you like!" she told them happily smiling brightly. Gohan saw her antics and to say he was surprised would be a sever understatement. Quite frankly he was flabbergasted at this sudden turn of events, but it brought a smile to his face nonetheless. He found himself smiling a lot more as of late. It couldn't have anything to do with Videl could it? Gohan had never felt any more than plain old physical attraction to a girl so he wouldn't even know where to begin.

"_Who am I kidding I've been friends with this girl for a few weeks, I'm just confused because of that hug back there. Just a little emotional still that's all" _Gohan thought to himself, oblivious to the glances and looks Videl was giving him every minute or so.

"Aight, how about I put in our mixed playlist? Basically it's a playlist that we all threw together of our music and we put it on shuffle so we all get to listen to our music as well as hear the other's music" Slick explained to her, pulling out the USB and plugging it into the stereo. He started the music off on shuffle and a strange synthesizing, futuristic beep noise started playing for a few moments before a voice was heard, first quietly but as it continued the volume of the voice seemed to increase.

"**This the shit that they want, this the shit that ****they need.  
>Tell me where are you from? Drop yo pants to yo knees!<br>GIRL I'M CAPITAL G!**

**Might pull up in my bucket, this 9 holds a good dozen.  
>Might slide up in yo cousin, just made a mill and still THUGGIN (THUGGIN)<br>Niggas banged on me, but they should've shot me,  
>See I hit the corner, then Spottie got him.<strong>

**Court dates but I skip the bail, rather wig myself befo' I sit in jail!  
>Need a gang of weed, and a pint of lean, got a hat say fig on my gangsta tip<br>Don't trust no hoe, I might sock the bitch,  
>I'm apoca-lypse to yo po-litics!..."<strong>

Videl was sitting in the seat watching with wonder on her face. Slick had the window rolled down and was resting him arm on the door and looking to people on the streets. Q was drumming his fingers on the wheel and seemingly mouthing the lyrics to the song. Gohan was nodding his head to the beat of the song and was sitting in the corner of the seat and door with his legs spread out over to Videl's side of the car, invading her leg space slightly. She didn't realise this until she went to move her leg and it touched his. He looked ever and saw what he had done subconsciously and leveled his eyes with hers apologetically.

"Sorry, didn't realise" he said simply and sympathetically, probably guilty for taking up her room. He made to move his leg but she placed a hand on his knee, stopping him from moving any further.

"No it's fine I didn't need to move my leg I was just fidgeting" she replied hastily. He moved to open his mouth but she quickly silenced him. "Really it's fine no need to move" she assured him quickly, before he could even get a word in. He looked at her a moment longer before nodding at her and returning his gaze out the window. Videl glanced back to him and noticed that he had his right arm on top of the backrest of the chair and if she just moved a few inches closer to him she'd be technically encircled by his arm.

"_No it'd be way obvious. Besides, why do I even want to? I mean, I guess he looks really cool and good-looking, his hair blowing around in the wind from underneath the beanie…" _Videl thought, gazing at him openly without realizing she was doing it. Luckily Gohan didn't seem to notice her. Slick however did. Slick discreetly got Q's attention by tapping him on the knee closest to him. Q looked at his friend with inquiry etched on his face and Slick gestured with his head to the girl. Q nodded with a mischievous smile on his face. In all the years he had known Gohan, the guy had never seemed to like any girl. He never opened up to a girl or spoke about his life. And he CERTAINLY never showed a girl his rhyme book. Q was the only person on the face of the Earth who was allowed to even think about looking at it a few years ago. But Q had come with the girl to find Gohan, along with Slick and they watched the interaction between the two and Gohan didn't object in the slightest when Videl read his lyrics. So to Q this was a very special opportunity and it was his duty as Gohan's friend to help him out. Even if the spiky-haired boy never knew he was doing it.

With that thought in his mind he turned right around a roundabout slightly faster than he really needed to and the force cause Videl to slide across the seat with a small squeal and end up side to side with Gohan, who 'oof'ed slightly at the unexpected collision and he instinctually grabbed Videl's far shoulder with the arm that was on the rest and wrapped his free hand around her waist in an effort to brace her against himself in case of a crash. He looked first at Videl, concern for her written in the way his eyes narrowed slightly and his voice softened, "Are you okay Videl?" to which she responded only by nodding dumbly and struggling not to blush. He relaxed a bit and turned to Q, "What the hell is going on where are we going?" Gohan asked his friend.

Q simply responded to the query by saying, "Man I thought we'd try another route, see if it's any faster knahmean?" but as he said this he caught Videl's eye in the rearview mirror and winked at her before turning his attention back to the road. Videl couldn't help the blush now and simply settled into her new seating position against Gohan's side.

Gohan, deciding that it was now safe, released his hold on Videl, his arms going back to their original resting place. He didn't even seem to notice that Videl was up against his side now. Videl was stiff for a few moments thinking that Gohan would tell her she could move back to her seat any moment now, but 2 minutes passed by and he simply continued staring out the window and nodding his head to the music. Videl knew she was tense and if she didn't calm down Gohan WOULD notice. So she forced herself to calm down and relaxed her back into the crook of Gohan's arm and, as casually as possible, leaned her head on his chest. Gohan glanced at her for a moment but thought nothing of it seemingly and once again turned his eyes back out the window. Videl did a little cheer inside her head and started looking around at where they were going.

As everyone in the car was left to their own devices Videl had a thought that excited something in the bottom of her stomach as she once again glanced at the boy she had made a seat of. She had _finally _made a connection with Gohan.

JJ: That's it y'all hope you enjoy later homies. 


End file.
